Down in the San Luis Valley, CO

[RGINN]

Home of a lot of early day Colorado history and a lot of Americans of Hispanic descent that I can speak Spanish way more better than, haha! Checked out the Capilla de Viejo San Acacio, which is the oldest continuously in use church in Colorado, dating back to the 1850's. Went over to San Luis de la Culebra, the oldest town in Colorado. It was started in 1851 and was part of the original Sangre de Cristo land grant. Lots of artwork on the buildings in San Luis. Took off through the country and looked over an old fallen down adobe house. Great big open country where you can see where you're going, but you drive a loooong time to get there.

 

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[Old Dude]

Thanks for your history lessons. I think sometimes we here in the east forget how much later the west was settled. I really like seeing pics from you guys. Now if we could just recruit our European members to share with us too!

 

[tamrock]

Thanks for your history lessons. I think sometimes we here in the east forget how much later the west was settled. I really like seeing pics from you guys. Now if we could just recruit our European members to share with us too!

So true ODP, Further south down along the Rio Grande valley in Santa Fe, is the "Palace of the Governors" the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Governors. What I find unique is the fact of this region being occupied by Europeans for 400 years, is how little has really changed compared to the eastern region of the country. You just know there's lost treasure somewhere around this country. I'm kind of bummed about a mine in Questa, New Mexico that I did business for 20 years closing up for good. I was going down there every two weeks to manage an onsite inventory we put at the mine. Most the miners who worked at the mine could trace their heritage in the region back to over 200 years.

 

[NorthernTesoro]

Oldest town in Colorado! There is also a beautiful church on top of the hill overlooking the town that you can hike up to. There are other adobe structures in many of the towns in southern Colorado that were settled by Hispanic settlers but it is a shame that many are in bad shape and/or falling apart because of neglect, same as their Spanish language as you noticed. Nice pics!

 

[diggingthe1]

That's some of my favorite country to explore! The surrounding foothills are full of history! It does seem unchanged down there. There is a nice old iron bridge that crosses the Rio Grande down there you should check out if your down that way again Great pictures!

 

[tamrock]

Indeed! San Luis, Colorado and the Capilla de Todos Los Santos Shrine, Stations of the Cross. Been up there a few times to get out from behind the wheel and stretch out. It's a nice little hike to the top. I have an old 1908 map of the area that has little communities in that area that are no longer there. There I'm sure is buried or lost treasure somewhere in that region?.

 

[NorthernTesoro]

Indeed! San Luis, Colorado and the Capilla de Todos Los Santos Shrine, Stations of the Cross. Been up there a few times to get out from behind the wheel and stretch out. It's a nice little hike to the top. I have an old 1908 map of the area that has little communities in that area that are no longer there. There I'm sure is buried or lost treasure somewhere in that region?.

That sounds like a super interesting map tamrock, with all those small towns or "plazas" as they were called back then, yes the San Luis Valley is loaded with history. The church was built recently too (Capilla de Todos Los Santos), it was built in 1986 if im not mistaken and what makes it stand out is that it was built in the original Spanish style which is unheard of nowadays for new construction.

Thanks for your pics tamrock.